To: 27/03/2024 14:00
The primary requirement for the industrial use of many commercial food emulsions lies in their stability, a critical factor for consumer acceptance. This stability, along with the development of suitable microstructural and rheological properties, is vital for achieving and maintaining the desired texture and sensory qualities. Extensive research has aimed to correlate emulsion stability with its rheology and microstructure. Nonetheless, a deep understanding of nanoscale interfacial behaviour is also essential for enhancing properties at both microscale (e.g. droplet size distribution and microstructure) and macroscale (e.g. rheology of the bulk and emulsion stability).
In emulsions (and foams) stabilized by biopolymers, both the bulk phases and the interfaces exhibit a complex microstructure. Surface active biopolymers, such as proteins and certain polysaccharides, tend to assemble into 2D gel-like structures upon adsorption at the interface. These structures confer significant surface rheological properties, which can even dominate the macroscopic dynamics of the system. The response of these complex fluid-fluid interfaces to an applied deformation is often highly non-linear, either to large deformations (e.g. during production and processing) or even to small deformations, as a result of changes in the interfacial 2D microstructure.
This presentation will highlight research on both linear and nonlinear rheology of complex interfaces and discuss the latest advances available for analyzing and modeling nonlinear interfacial rheology data.
In addition, a similar rheological analysis for protein-stabilized emulsions will be reviewed, in order to explore possible links between interfacial shear rheology and emulsion rheology, as well as their connections with emulsion microstructural parameters and emulsion stability. This approach can be useful to overcome one of the main challenges in emulsion technology, which is to tailor the interfaces that allow the development of optimal emulsion microstructure and stability.
Position Description
The post-doctoral fellow is expected to contribute to the performance of imaging measurements, using ultrashort laser pulses, for obtaining information related to processes and activities of biological samples (cells and tissues).
For the full announcement, follow the link "Related Documents"
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor degree (B. Sc) in Physics, Chemistry or Engineering
- Ph.D. degree in Physical Sciences, or Engineering
- Experimental laboratory experience in imaging samples using ultrashort laser pulses
- Relevant scientific publications in peer-review journals
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience in using spectroscopic techniques as diagnostic tools
Application Procedure
Interested candidates who meet the aforementioned requirements are kindly asked to submit their applications to the address (hr@iesl.forth.gr), with cc to the Scientific Responsible, Dr P. Loukakos (loukakos@iesl.forth.gr).
In order to be considered, the application must include:
- Application Form (Form Greek or Form English to the left)
- Detailed curriculum vitae (CV) of the candidate
- Scanned Copies of academic titles
Appointment Duration
2 monthsThe probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics limits the precision with which observables of a quantum system can be known and measured. Yet, quantum physics offers resources, such as squeezing and entanglement, that do not exist in classical physics. Engineering the state and dynamics of physical systems to achieve quantum-enhanced metrology can have a disruptive impact on atomic-optical magnetometers, which present the highest magnetic-field sensitivity, only limited in small sensors by quantum phenomena.
The sensitivity of an atomic-optical magnetometer is affected by the photon shot noise emanating from photon counting, the spin projection noise originating from uncorrelated atoms, and the back-action noise arising from the interaction between photons and atoms. QUEMAGS aims to address and minimize simultaneously all three sources of quantum noise to demonstrate quantum advantage in atomic-optical magnetometers. To that end, we will generate a squeezed probe light in a novel atomic cell setup and use it to implement a back-action evasion measurement of the atomic spin polarization. We will employ stroboscopic modulation of the probe light synchronized with the atomic spin precession, resulting in back-action evasion. The measurement will project the atomic ensemble onto an entangled state with reduced variance in the spin observable. The reduction of all sources of quantum noise by using squeezed probe light, spin-squeezed atomic ensemble, and back-action evading measurements will result in an atomic-optical magnetometer with highly enhanced sensitivity to weak radiofrequency fields.
This can find applications in several areas of science, technology, and industry that rely on precise magnetic field characterization, including tests of physical theories, biomedicine, geophysics, and security screening. Our work is also relevant to quantum information protocols that rely on light-atom interfaces.
Principal Investigator
Scientific Staff
Research Associates
Alumni
Funding
Education
- 2019, Bachelor's Degree Chemical Engineering, Università Federico II Napoli, Italy
- 2023, Master degree in Chemical Engineering, Università Federico II Napoli, Italy
